


A Good Place

by Shi_Toyu



Series: Painsgiving - November 2018 [27]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Banner-centric, F/M, Feels, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Painsgiving, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 13:32:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17623313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: After the Avengers come back to the compound, Natasha wants to talk.





	A Good Place

**Author's Note:**

> Day 27: "You’re a really interesting person."

“Do you have a moment?”

Bruce glanced up to see Natasha in the doorway, carefully not coming any closer. He hadn’t lied earlier. She did look good, but even just noticing that sent a pang of hurt shooting through him.

“We don’t exactly have a lot of time to waste. The team’s leaving for Wakanda in less than an hour,” he said, moving to step around her.

Her hand snapped out to touch his arm.

“Bruce, please. I think we should talk.”

The bark of laughter that escaped him was harsh and bitter, an ugly thing.

“Oh, really? What about exactly?”

Her gaze dropped before rising up again, so she could look at him through her lashes. It was a practiced move, carefully chosen to make herself seem more demure and less of a threat. Well, it was too late for that.

“I know we didn’t exactly leave things in a good place.”

“No,” Bruce snapped, his anger seeping into his words. “No, I wouldn’t describe you shoving me off a cliff as ‘leaving things in a good place.’”

She flinched, and the funny thing was that Bruce couldn’t even be sure if it was real or not. A part of him didn’t care.

“I did what I thought had to be done.”

“You’re a really interesting person, you know that, Natasha? You know what makes everyone around you tick, but you never let them see even the barest hint of the real you. Trusting people again, after Ross and everything he did to me… it wasn’t easy. But I was so  _desperate_  for it. I was so  _tired_  or running and hiding. I should have known you’d use it against me.”

“Bruce, I didn’t-“

He pulled away from her sharply, cutting off the lie.

“Yes, you did. I trusted you, Nat. You  _made_  me trust you. We may be on the same side in this fight, but I won’t make that mistake again.”


End file.
